Germany’s poverty rate rose to a record high of 16.1% in 2025, leaving around 13.3 million people classified as poor, according to a report published on Tuesday by the Paritätische, an umbrella group for charitable organizations.
The figure was up from 15.5% a year earlier and marked the highest level since comparable records began, the association said, citing official data released earlier this year.
Under the European Union’s definition, people are considered at risk of poverty if their income is below 60% of the national median. In Germany, that threshold was €1,446 ($1,683) per month for a single-person household and €3,036 for a household with two adults and two children under 14.
The welfare group said the increase reversed a decline recorded between 2020 and 2023 and pointed to widening social disparities.
Poverty rates were lowest in the southern states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, Germany’s stronger regional economies, at 12.6% and 13.2% respectively.
Older people were among the groups most affected, with nearly one in five people aged 65 or older classified as poor or at risk of poverty.
Single-person households, single parents and people with lower levels of education were also disproportionately affected, with the report’s authors saying poverty was rising particularly among groups facing structural disadvantages and limited access to the labour market.
Four out of five people affected were not in employment. According to the report, 70% of those living in poverty were German citizens, while 30% held foreign nationality.
The report said many households were struggling to cover everyday expenses. About 6.9% of the population lacked sufficient income last year to meet regular living costs, including higher energy bills and replacing essential household appliances.